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Getting Wilson would be very nice.

Another rumor that almost seems too good to be true is this one.

Colts big DT floated as a possible “Amari Cooper” like trade target for Browns
DeForest Buckner fits what the Browns did last year

By JaredMueller@JaredKMueller Mar 5, 2023, 4:55pm EST 1 Comment / 1 New



Cleveland Browns GM Andrew Berry, like most people, tends to repeat previous behaviors if they worked out. Like too many humans, he sometimes repeats behaviors that haven’t yet worked out.

That is why it is still hard to believe him at his word that he doesn’t have any kind of age guardrail when it comes to early draft selections.

Last year, Berry got a steal of a deal when he traded two later draft selections to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for WR Amari Cooper and a draft pick. Cooper went on to have an excellent season in 2022 for the Browns while the team also reworked his contract to make it more palatable upfront.

Zak Jackson as The Athletic (subscriber, $) noted that Cleveland could be looking to do the same thing once again this year:

Actually, they might not even wait that long as they figure to try to trade for at least one proven player, too, and as other teams make money-driven decisions in the coming days, it remains entirely possible that the Browns will get a chance to follow last year’s Amari Cooper model and use third-day picks to acquire a good player, then eventually re-shape the contract that player’s previous team needed to go away.

Later in his piece, Jackson brought up Indianapolis Colts DT DeForest Buckner as one name that would make a lot of sense in a Cooper-style trade. The Colts are likely looking at drafting a rookie quarterback high in the 2023 NFL draft and paying a 29-year-old defensive tackle $20 million a year may not make sense at the same time.

Buckner has only missed two games in his seven seasons in the league despite playing in the middle of the trenches. He has had 24.5 sacks the last three seasons with Indianapolis after 28.5 in his first three seasons with the San Francisco 49ers.

If Berry can acquire Buckner for a similar package that he got Cooper for, while either renegotiating or extending his contract, the Browns defense could see a similar uptick that the offense did last year.


https://www.dawgsbynature.com/2023/3/5/23626448/deforest-buckner-rumor-browns-colts

Another report is that Jessie Bates would like to play w/Watson. They share the same agent. But, Bates might be saying that because we just cut JJIII and he knows that we might be looking for a FS.

If Berry can acquire Buckner for a similar package that he got Cooper for, while either renegotiating or extending his contract, the Browns defense could see a similar uptick to what the offense had last year.

The offense had an uptick?
They could have fooled me.

Jessie Bates was a sieve and Baker Mayfield used to pick on him.
The Browns 3 best options for Jessie Bates are
I. if he would stay in Cincinnati
2. If he would go to the ravens or
3. if he would go to the steelers,

that way the Browns could still play against him twice a year, and get the maximum benefits.

Browns free agent/trade targets and why they must be aggressive ahead of the draft

By Zac Jackson
Mar 5, 2023


INDIANAPOLIS — There I was, standing in the main media center at the NFL Scouting Combine last week, with small-ish (by NFL standards) Pitt defensive tackle Calijah Kancey speaking at a podium about 15 feet to my left and 6-foot-6, 310-pound (but looking like more) Florida defensive tackle Gervon Dexter fielding questions to my right. Both feel like second-round prospects, according to various lists compiled by folks who consume themselves with this stuff on a year-round basis, and for a moment I caught myself genuinely torn on which prospect, from a Cleveland Browns perspective, was most worth a closer listen.

No, this wasn’t really some moment of deep thought or symbolism. Mostly, I felt right back at home knowing that Draft Argument Season has arrived again.

Does bigger mean better for the Browns, who are about to take on a significant remake of their defensive line group? Is getting bigger defensive tackles mandatory after the run defense was so bad it leaked to multiple other areas of the team in 2022? Would Kancey or Dexter really be a target with the Browns’ first pick of this year’s draft, which comes at No. 42 in the second round? These are all fair questions and fair talking points in and around Draft Argument Season, which this year still might be fun, eventually, but is about to be interrupted by free agency and trade season.

To answer my own existential question, the Browns are absolutely going big next week. They have to. They’re going to reduce quarterback Deshaun Watson’s $54.9 million salary-cap number by adding voidable years to his contract, and they’re going to create enough cap room to be big-ticket hunters next Monday. Actually, they might not even wait that long as they figure to try to trade for at least one proven player, too, and as other teams make money-driven decisions in the coming days, it remains entirely possible that the Browns will get a chance to follow last year’s Amari Cooper model and use third-day picks to acquire a good player, then eventually re-shape the contract that player’s previous team needed to go away.

The Browns have clear needs at defensive tackle, defensive end and wide receiver. They’re likely going to be shopping for help at safety and linebacker, too. A year after everything was about Watson and the Browns declaring themselves ready to chase big prizes, this offseason is about giving Watson more explosive players to target and cleaning up a defense that has a new leader in veteran coordinator Jim Schwartz. It was clear from early last season that the Browns would be moving on from former defensive coordinator Joe Woods. It was also clear that the defense didn’t have the right pieces — or enough of them — regardless of who was making the play calls.

Now we’re a week away from the player movement period. Schwartz has had two months to get to know the personnel already in place and clearly outline his priorities and list of must-haves to general manager Andrew Berry. Browns coach Kevin Stefanski has re-worked the staff in all three phases and has had time to talk extensively with Watson, Berry and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt about the kind of quick-twitch wide receivers who can help Watson not just settle in, but return to his prior form. If Watson is just a little better in 2023 than he was in his strange and disappointing six-game trial at the end of 2022, then the Browns will miss the playoffs again and all the key decision-makers will probably get fired. There’s just no other way to say or view it at this point after the Browns went 7-10 and finished at the bottom of the AFC North, then started this offseason by again having to cut a player who, two years prior, was the first free agent of their class and still had guaranteed money on his contract. Last year it was Austin Hooper, and this year it’s John Johnson III.


It’s perfectly reasonable to think Watson can instantly be a lot better and that Schwartz can almost instantly clean up a lot of things that repeatedly sunk the Browns’ defense last year. It’s also more than fair to say that any road back to the playoffs starts with a big March and the Browns positioning themselves to fix some holes and add some much-needed leadership to the defense. Under Berry, the Browns have been pretty good at identifying and attacking the big needs and just OK at actually making it work. Needing at least one starting defensive tackle and still needing a true complement to Myles Garrett is not a good place to be.

Lots of teams fail in free agency; no team actually prefers to have to use it. But good teams have mid-round draft picks waiting to fill holes that free agency fails to fill, and the Browns don’t have many of those. This roster needs major help, and that’s why the Browns are going to have to use major resources this month.

Potential free agent/trade targets

The free agent wide receiver class is not great. The Browns could be interested in players like D.J. Chark, Parris Campbell or Mecole Hardman — or they could trade for a wide receiver like they did last year. They’ll have better free-agent options on the defensive line. Javon Hargrave is 30, but he seems to perfectly fit the “attacking” style that both Stefanski and Berry said Schwartz wants to play during their combine interviews. Daron Payne got the franchise tender from the Commanders, but perhaps Payne could still be had via trade. The Colts are in a weird transition phase, and DeForest Buckner is due a lot of money.


Buckner, who soon turns 29, is a force in the middle. He’s under contract for two more years at cap numbers of around $20 million in each season. If the Colts are willing to listen and are looking to clear cap space for the future, the Browns need to keep calling.


Buckner has been named to three pro bowls across seven NFL seasons with the 49ers and Colts. (Rich Barnes / USA Today)
I don’t know that he really wants to leave the Pacific time zone, but the Browns should also be calling about linebacker Bobby Wagner, who’s parting ways with the Rams. Getting that kind of leader would help the entire team; landing Wagner would also be a statement to those of us on the outside that players think the Browns are close. Four different players played middle linebacker for the Browns last year; three of them are free agents, and none of them is the player that Wagner is, even at 32.

Maybe the leadership need can be partially filled by defensive end Brandon Graham, who’s going to be 35 and would be the Browns’ third rusher. Graham was a Pro Bowler under Schwartz when Schwartz was the Eagles’ defensive coordinator. That feels like a down-the-line signing, and everything points to the Browns being busy and aggressive right now. Free agency doesn’t necessarily have to be done in 36 hours, but the Browns won’t be the only bidders if they’re going to be shopping in the high-bonus district.

Defensive tackle over defensive end? Wide receiver over other defensive needs? Maybe one big trade and one big signing, then some depth guys? We’ll soon see. We’re all kind of guessing right now, which is part of what makes these arguments so fun. We all want to be right. The Browns NEED to be right. Bad draft classes and bad free agent classes land you at the bottom of the division. They make you desperate in March, too. It’s not that desperation has to be a bad thing. There’s supposed to be urgency in trying to improve the roster and trying to further unlock your best players. There has to be urgency now.

One prediction/argument I feel pretty good about is the Browns won’t ultimately pick at No. 42. They’ll either trade that pick for a defensive lineman over the next several days, or trade down once the second day of the draft begins. The draft’s five best wide receivers will be long gone by then. Presumably, the Browns will have spent pretty big money on multiple defensive veterans by then.

To go all the way back to the top, I don’t think the Browns would take a defensive tackle at No. 42. They just haven’t valued that position the way they have others — which is probably a big reason why they’re in the spot they’re in now. In two or three weeks, we’ll be right back to arguments about the team’s draft-age guardrails, reliance on athletic testing numbers and how many available rookies could really help this Browns team in 2023. But for now, let’s follow the team’s lead in focusing on right now. Last year, the Cooper trade was made in the wake of the combine and two days before the free agent negotiation period actually started. March 13 marks the official start of the big money flying. For the Browns, the quiet period of the offseason is over — and the time to fix some of the prior wrongs is right now.


https://theathletic.com/4275166/2023/03/05/browns-free-agent-targets-draft-needs/

I don't like the title including Jessie Bates, but this is an informative article about the status of several guys.


Deshaun Watson open to contract restructure; safety Jessie Bates III would love to play with Watson: Browns Insider
Updated: Mar. 06, 2023, 6:35 a.m.|Published: Mar. 05, 2023, 6:00 a.m.


By Mary Kay Cabot, cleveland.com
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Deshaun Watson is open to restructuring his contract over the next week to help the Browns get under the salary cap, and to clear some space to add quality veterans via free agency or trades, a league source says.

It comes days after Browns GM Andrew Berry noted at the NFL Scouting Combine that a restructuring for Watson “could be on the table” but that they have other options as well.


The Browns are currently more than $13.415 million over the cap, and must get under it by March 15. The easiest transaction would be to significantly lower Watson’s $54.993 cap charge for 2023 — same as the next three years — and give him more bonus money up front. His entire $230 million five-year contract is fully guaranteed anyway, so it’s just a matter of when he’s getting the money, not if.


Watson is as committed to winning a Super Bowl as anyone, and won’t hesitate to re-do the deal to help the Browns participate fully in free agency and the trade market, I’m told. Browns GM Andrew Berry has already acknowledged he’s releasing safety John Johnson III, which will save the Browns $9.75 million of his $13.5 million cap charge if he’s a June 1 designation. He can look to lower the cap charges of other big-money players such as Myles Garrett ($29.176 million) and Amari Cooper ($23.776 million).


Others in the double-digit millions club are guards Wyatt Teller and Joel Bitonio, running back Nick Chubb, and cornerback Denzel Ward.

Last season, Watson’s cap charge was only $9.395 million, and his base was only $402,5000, which enabled the Browns to add other key players. If all goes as expected, his lower cap number in 2023 will provide the same opportunities to upgrade his supporting cast on both sides of the ball.

The Browns’ top needs heading into free agency are a safety to replace Johnson, a speedy receiver, a defensive tackle, and an end to replace Jadeveon Clowney. A re-do for Watson would go a long way towards accomplishing those goals.


Jessie Bates III would love to play with Watson if he hits the market


Bengals safety Jessie Bates III, a 2020 second-team All-Pro, would love to play with Watson if he hits the market, a league source says.

The problem is, Bates’ market value is about $14 million a year according to Spotrac, and the price could climb if teams getting into a bidding war for the premier available safety.

A replacement for John Johnson III, who will be released, Bates would be the impact safety the Browns need in the back end. A ballhawk, he had four interceptions in 2022.

Bates, who played on the franchise tag last season, told Bengals.com’s Geoff Hobson after the season that he wanted to be back with the Bengals, but must take advantage of this opportunity.

“Unfortunately, this business, there’s different scenarios where I’m not in a situation where I can leave $10 million on the table and be OK with that,” Bates said. “It wouldn’t be fair to myself, my family, my legacy. Obviously yes I want to be here. My family is three hours away from here. I’ve created bonds in this locker room. I want to be here.”

Bates is one of a number of big-name free agents on the Browns’ radar, and it wouldn’t be surprising if they pursue him when the negotiating period opens March 13.

Browns didn’t try to restructure John Johnson III

Johnson, who had a $1 million roster bonus due March 17th and a $13.5 million cap charge for 2023, wasn’t offered a contract re-do to remain with the Browns, a league source told cleveland.com. Browns GM Andrew Berry confirmed at the NFL Scouting Combine they’re releasing him soon.

Furthermore, a trade market hasn’t materialized for a player coming off an average season compared to his stellar campaigns with the Rams.

Johnson, 27, hopes to land in a spot where he can showcase his versatility, playing up closer to the line at times as well as deep, and everywhere else in the secondary. A fan favorite in his short time here, he leaves Cleveland on good terms.

“I appreciate the Cleveland Browns for the opportunity,” Johnson told cleveland.com. “The city is truly one of a kind. I wish that I could’ve done more while here; however, I know that my best ball is ahead of me. I pray great things for my former teammates.”

Johnson expects to receive interest from multiple teams, and the Browns will look to replace him with either Bates or another high-caliber safety.

Kareem Hunt, Ronnie Harrison Jr. and other Browns free agents who won’t be back

The Browns have a number of impending free agents who will be allowed to walk in free agency with little or no effort to re-sign them. They include running back Kareem Hunt, safety Ronnie Harrison Jr., defensive end Jadeveon Clowney and cornerback Greedy Williams.

Hunt asked to be traded during training camp, and will try to find a new home, preferably one where he can be the featured back. Clowney sealed his fate when he was kept him from the season finale in Pittsburgh for venting about his usage in 2022 and revealing that he refused to play on anything but third down in the loss in Baltimore. Harrison and Williams will find new homes.


Linebackers Anthony Walker and Sione Takitaki among Browns free agents who could return

The Browns have a handful of free agents who have a good chance of being back, including some coming off season-ending injuries. Two linebackers the Browns will try to re-sign are Anthony Walker Jr., coming off a torn quad, and Sione Takitaki, coming off of a torn ACL.

If both come back, the Browns will be in good shape at linebacker, including the return of Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah from a midfoot sprain and Jacob Phillips from a torn pectoral muscle.

Center Ethan Pocic will likely test the market; Browns feel good about Nick Harris

Pocic, the No. 9 center in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus, played so well in 2023 he might’ve priced himself off the Browns’ roster. Pocic’s market value is about $7.2 million a year according to Spotrac. The Browns have or will talk numbers with Pocic’s agent, and then he’ll likely test the free agent waters beginning March 13. But the Browns feel good about 2020 fifth-round pick Nick Harris, who’s coming off a season-ending injury suffered in the preseason opener.


Harris is on track to start the season, and the Browns still believe in him as a starter.

Running back D’Ernest Johnson has a decent chance to be back

Johnson closed out the 2023 season frustrated that he got so few opportunities to touch the ball. He ran it four times for 17 yards, caught three passes for 7 yards, and returned one kickoff for 27 yards. But the Browns, who paid Johnson $1.2165 million in ‘22, are open to re-signing him. With Hunt gone, there will be more opportunities for Johnson and 2022 fifth-round pick Jerome Ford.

https://www.cleveland.com/browns/20...-to-play-with-watson-browns-insider.html

J/c

I think Bates wants to use the leverage of the potential contract we might offer more than he wants to actually play here.

Interesting, if true, that would basically eliminate the best RB in football from having an impact.

Yep. I'm sure they will do everything they can to eliminate Chubb's impact.

I think that's dumb.

The truth of the matter is , if a RB is your best weapon on offense
Then your offense isn't putting up alot of points
And in this league , you will only go as far as your offense takes you.
How many Super Bowls did Derrick Henry carry the Titans
Into ?. How many playoff appearances did the Browns
Achieve with Chubb/Hunt. ?
Jamal Williams racked up 17 TDs last year.how did the Lions fare?
Josh Jacob's league rushing title. Yet he was home watching
The playoffs. RBs are complementary pieces now.
Maybe Stefanski and Berry finally got the memo.

j/c...

Bummer. There were rumors about him joining the Browns staff after leaving Philly.

Damn. Going to Baltimore makes it even worse.

Kevin Stefanski went on the Pardon My Take podcast which is a bit surprising. Joins the podcast at the 60 min mark.

Link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podca...-is-finally/id1089022756?i=1000603227681

Lol, well done...

The most chill, relaxed, down-to-earth Stefanski I've ever heard.

Host: That's interesting.....you're not going to establish the run first?
Stefanski: That's a fallacy. You don't have to establish the run to throw.

I don't disagree. I wasn't going to quote the entire back and forth but the gist of it was Stefanski said you need to have both (run and pass) for a successful offense. The host then asked him if he had to pick one....Kevin said something along the lines of pass first to set up the run. Then came what I posted....

If the Browns are able to improve their passing game they might become very difficult for most teams to predict the Browns offensive priorities/tendencies. It becomes very difficult to predict teams that are capable of doing both, run and pass.

That's a pretty low bar.
Would be interested in hearing who comes in 2nd

Thank you, John Madden.

Sean McDerm.....oh wait..

That's a tough one, honestly. Butch Davis, maybe?

Here, let me pull out my spreadsheet...

I would tell you that mediocrity is much better than sucktitude.

You crazy kids tried to tell me that all through the 5-11 years. I ain't buyin it.

You don't have to buy it. 8-9 in 2021 and 7-10 in 2022 sells itself. The very definition of mediocrity.

Pat Shurmur for me. His quotes were terrific, always just stated the obvious. Only HC to lose his introductory press conference.

Shanny

Butch Davis